Painted River Terrapin history

The Painted River Terrapin is a critically endangered species, listed as CITES Appendix II. This means that it is very close to extinction. Native to most of southeastern Asia, the Painted River Terrapin has been tragically exploited both for the pet trade and for the food trade. Their eggs are stolen frequently, and Painted River Terrapins have low reproductive rates. Only two large populations remain known, and even these contain less than 1,000 Terrapins each.